Been Here All Along

37| grieve

"If you ever want to die, fall in love and you'll get killed." - Anth

*THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW*

   How does one tell the world about the loss of his or her little brother or son or friend?

   Hayden Miller had no idea. Telling just Josie was hard enough, but it didn't end there. He had his extended family to tell, Ian's other friends, and anyone else that deserves to know.

   He figured, while his parents called uncles and aunts, he'd call Noah and Andrea, the happy couple that was scheduled to get married in 12 days.

~•~

   Noah Griffith was changing the lightbulbs to the chandelier in their kitchen and Andrea Lyssa, his fiancée, was vacuuming the carpeted floor in the connected living room.

Noah almost didn't hear his cellphone ringing because of the obnoxious sound of the vacuum and his intense concentration on the lightbulb. If he hadn't dropped his miniature handheld flashlight, he would've missed Hayden's call.

"Babe," he called out over the vacuum. He showed her his phone, and she stopped the vacuum so he could answer it.

"Hey, Hayden, what's up?"

"Noah, I got something to tell you." Hayden said, keeping a strong front the best he could.

"What is it?" Noah looked at Andrea confused.

"Ian died, man. He-he got shot in battle."

Noah's face fell instantaneously. He had no words. He couldn't believe it.

"I'm sorry, man," Noah said, forcing it out. If he felt this much pain and it was only his close childhood friend, he couldn't imagine the pain and sorrow that is overwhelming Ian's family right now. "I'm so sorry."

"We all are," Hayden mumbled. "I'll let you know when we have funeral arrangements. Take care, man."

"You, too." Noah's voice came out weak and hardly audible. He gently placed his phone down on the counter and took in the space around him. Andrea was watching him from the living room, concern etched across her face.

Noah let out an angry groan and kicked the step stool over before falling onto one of the chairs at the dining table that was already pulled out. His head fell into his hands, and Andrea was quick to his side.

   "What happened?" She murmured, rubbing his back soothingly. Noah was somehow holding in his tears, but his whole body was shaking.

   "Ian died."

   Andrea's hand stopped the circulation motions on his back in shock. Their wedding is less than two weeks away and so was Ian's coming home. How could he be gone just like that?

   A few stray tears escaped her eyes, but she resumed rubbing his back and rested her chin on his slumped shoulder.

   She's never lost anyone close to her, at least not at an age it's really affected her. Her grandparents died when she was a baby, so she never had a relationship with them. She had no idea how to help her fiancée in this situation besides hold him close and promise him she's here for him.